The House of Gaunt
by ShadowsHideYou
Summary: Alternate Universe where magic users form 75% of the world. Mundanes are relegated to slave status, but some rebel. Join female Harry as she takes on her mother's legacy of being a freedom fighter. Meet many not so familiar characters along the way, muggles who are now wizards and wizards who are muggles. Looming ever present in the background, the infamous revolutionary Tom Gaunt
1. Chapter 1

The red haired girl's eyelids fluttered as she dreamed. Mind lost amidst the bittersweet cadences of sleep, she was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world.

. . . .

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number 4 Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly magical, thank you very much . . . They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything mundane or muggle related, because they just didn't hold with such liberal sympathizing. What? You thought they were a part of the muggle liberation front? All because their niece was . . . Don't be absurd.

. . .

". . . Can't stay here, Vernon. . . . A menace . . . What will the government think?"

"I know, Pet, I know . . . Just have to get rid of her . . . Government orphanage . . . Chance to learn a trade . . . If she'd just been a muggle . . . Parents like that . . . Terrorists . . . Too risky, I say, far too risky. . ."

. . . .

"This . . . Children, will be your home until you come of age. Your gracious and all powerful government has chosen to show you kindness, despite your . . . Handicap."

"Where's mummy?!"

"Quiet! Quiet . . . Your mother chose to place you here . . . Where you would be among others of your kind, an environment where you would have a hope of succeeding. "

"That's a lie! The government took us away!"

"Succeeding? At what? Slave labor . . ."

*A slap* *Soft crying *

"There now. You see what happens when you misbehave? You MUST NOT MISBEHAVE. Understand? "

. . . .

"Girl! Potter! Come back here! "

"Go, Potter! Run!"

*sounds of a scuffle * *a sharp crack* *panting*

*Silence*

. . . . .

"What's this now? What do we have here?"

*A panicked scuffling backwards amidst crates in an abandoned warehouse *

"It's alright, girl. I'm no threat to ya."

*A pained sigh as the old man sits on a crate, looking weary and broken*

"Name's Luke, I'm eh . . .something o' the doctor for folks around here."

*Fearful silence *

"You eh, didn't think you were the only one on this wharf, didya?"

*Curiosity*

"Let me guess, you're one o' them government orphans? Couldn't do magic so either your folks or the bureaucrats dumped ya in a state home? What, did they tell ya you'd learn a trade? Be a contributing member o' society? Hmph! Ya mighta, if they'd been doing their job . . . Mighta ended up any number o' places though . . . Not something a little child needs to hear about . . . Monsters"

*Here he spits, looking ill at whatever thought has occupied his mind* *the little red haired girl continues to watch him, curious, yet wary*

*Clapping his hands together and rubbing them for warmth*

"So, kid, ya got a name?" *Casual, attempting to appear non threatening, though his heart aches to see the thin, scared child*

"61728."

"What?"

"61728."

*The girl looks uncertain and confused, holding out her arm*

*Hesitantly, the man reaches out, gently taking her arm and pushing back the tattered sleeve to reveal the spoken designation tattooed on her pale flesh*

*Something inside him breaks at that moment, an animal howling in rage, a need to kill.*

"Hmm, that's new."

*Gently pulling the sleeve back *

"Well, did your parents give ya a name?"

*The girl shrugs, muttering * "Potter, last name was Potter."

"Well, that's halfway there."

*Here he pauses, studying her intently for a few moments before he snaps his fingers*

* The girl jumps back, looking startled, but her new friend takes no notice*

"That's it! I've got it!"

*Confusion*

*A gentle smile *

"And ya look just like her. Lily. Your name can be Lily Potter. She was a great woman, a freedom fighter, and an inspiration to us all."

. . . .

"Hurry up, Lily!"

"Just give me a second . . . I've almost got the charges rigged . . ."

"Who goes there?"

*A curse*

"We're out of time!"

*The girl dives forward, knocking her friend to the ground as a bolt of red light flies towards him. Snarling, she grabs his collar and yanks him after her, the two slipping out past the doors into the maze of alleys lining the old wharf. A few seconds later, a loud *boom* echoes down the streets, a shockwave knocking the pair to their knees.*

*Screaming . . . she can see the people screaming, but she's been temporarily deafened by the blast. She looks around in a daze, disoriented. Behind her, the old warehouse, meeting place of the wizard patrols has been engulfed in flames. A sharp, disembodied force hits her from behind and she feels her limbs go stiff as her face smashes into the grimy pavement. Only able to move her eyes, she looks up just in time to see her "friend" the young recruit Ben, retreat in horror, fleeing into the alleyway. Leaving her behind.*

*Her hearing begins to return. She picks up the smart, sharp *thud* of boots striding towards her. A muttered word, and the invisible force holding her in a vice grip disappears as quickly as it came. She doesn't get a chance to sit up, however, as the pair of boots kicks her viciously in the ribs.*

*A gasp of pain*

"You! Girl! What is your name? Where are your accomplices? Who ordered that pathetic excuse for an attack?"

*No answer * *Another sharp kick, this time to the face. She can feel a trickle of blood forming at her mouth*

"Answer me! I am not above using force to make you talk."

"Leave her alone."

*Luke's voice is calm and steady, though anyone who knows him will be able to detect the anger and killing intent simmering beneath the surface*

"On whose authority?" *A sneer* "That attack killed three of my people. "

"Oh? I thought you said it was "pathetic"?" *A hint of disdain*

*Irritation*

"It was pathetic. Any attempt to defy the Magical State, especially by mundanes, is pathetic. Nevertheless, we do not respond well to acts of terrorism. This girl will be made an example of."

*A pause*

"But why take a child, when the mastermind behind the attack stands before you?"

"Oh, and who would that be? You, old man?"

*The contempt in his voice is almost tangible*

*Lily watches with narrowed eyes as Luke nods, taking a step forward and pushing up his sleeve to reveal what looks like a tattoo of a wolf's head. Her eyes widen*

"No, don't . . ."

The soldier raises his wand, smiling cruely.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous mundane werewolf. Yes, you are a nasty beast to find."

A bolt of green light flies from his wand, striking Luke and causing him to crumple to the ground.

*Lily stares in horror, before, in a rage, she flings herself at the wizard. With a careless flick of his wand, she goes flying to the side, slamming into the ground. He snorts, amused*

"I should have known a silly little girl like you could never pull off a feat like that."

*He gestures to the still burning building. Striding over, he picks her up by her collar, slamming her against a wall as her feet dangle helplessly in the air.*

"Know this though, girl, from now on, we'll be watching you. All of you."

*Letting go and allowing her to fall in the dust, he turns to address the crowd.*

"This is not over. Your pathetic little ringleader may be dead, but we still haven't gotten to the bottom of this assault. Rest assured that we will continue our investigation. Until someone takes it upon him or herself to tell the truth, this area is under lock down."

. . . .

*Screams*

*The sound of breaking glass*

*Explosions and cries of vengeance, of wrath poured out like water or the blood that lines the narrow streets *

*Soft weeping*

. . . .

"We're losing ground."

*Flat voice, tired*

*Desperate expressions surround her*

"Perhaps we should pull back, retreat further into the countryside. Join one of the other cells."

*Annoyance *

"And how do you propose to move our injured past the guards?"

"If we stay here, we're going to be lined up against a wall and shot. The injured who recover will be sent to the work camps."

*The first voice, a young woman with fire in her eyes and a grimace*

"What about . . . Him, he might be able to help us. His numbers are greater than our own."

*Protests*

"He's insane! He'll get us all killed!"

"His methods work."

*Grim determination*

"Besides, we're already on the Ministry's blacklist. Might as well organize and give them a real reasonto fight us. I'm talking about more than a couple of shipments disrupted or a few guards killed here and there. I'm talking about war. He can help us."

"And what do you think the devil will require for your bargain, Lily?"

*Eyes widen in disbelief*

"Luke?"

"Wake up, Lily. You aren't safe here. Wake up."

. . . .

The red haired girl's eyes fluttered open. Cautioualy, she began to sit up, feeling disoriented. A Strange odor that she had trouble placing, filled her nose.

"Should be in here, search the whole shop."

*Voices, the sound of wizards*

Cursing, she ducked behind the broken wooden counter in her makeshift shelter, crouching as she gathered her wits and scanned the door. It was no good, she could hear them coming in the back. Suddenly, she realized hat she had been smelling. Gasoline.

"Shit!" she hissed, managing to shove past the startled wizard and out the door as the shop exploded. She hit her head along something and the world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

". . . realized by now . . . don't respond well to threats . . .random violence."

*Murmurs*

"You know what I think, mundane? I think you're a liar, and not a very good one."

* A thud, sounds of something knocking a chair over*

"You have one hour."

*Door slams*

Lily blinked rapidly, struggling to force the haze from her mind as she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Her head throbbed angrily, though she couldn't quite remember what she had done to cause the pain. She was lying on a narrow cot, tucked into a little alcove with a curtain drawn across the space to separate it from the rest of the dwelling. The bedding was rough and scratchy beneath her hands, but it beat lying in an alleyway any day.

Suddenly, the curtain was drawn roughly back, and a haggard looking man appeared.

She flinched at the abrupt noise, fingers twitching as she subconsciously reached to her side, but her knife was missing.

Warily, she tried to push herself into a sitting position. Shaking his head, the man stepped further into the room, pausing to grab a rag and a pail of water as he knelt by her side.

"It's alright," he said firmly, dipping the rag into the water and attempting to sponge her brow. She knocked his hand away, eyes narrowing.

"I want my knife back."

He nodded, seeming unsurprised as he stood, moving to an old, splintered desk. Yanking the first drawer open, he rummaged inside for a second before pulling out the weapon in question. Handing it back to her (she had to force herself not to snatch it away), he knelt down and held up the soaking rag, with a look that asked her not to argue.

Reluctantly, she allowed him to go back to cleaning her forehead, only noticing the red stains as he moved to rinse the rag off in the pail.

"Seems the bleeding didn't want to stop quite yet. I apologize, I wasn't done dressing the wound when that wizard appeared. Bugger nearly broke my front door down."

"They aren't known for tact."

He snorted. "Won't argue with you on that one."

He continued to clean and dress her wounds for a few minutes in silence.

"I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused you."

He started to shrug her off and then paused, looking at her with a serious, contemplative expression.

"Did you do it?"

She had to flounder for a moment, struggling to think of what he meant, head still pounding. Then it came to her.

"With myself inside? You've got to be joking."

He nodded. Her answer seemed to only confirm what he'd already been thinking.

"That's what I tried to tell the others. That you wouldn't do something so stupid and reckless. Especially for no real reason. What could you have gained besides angering the State even further?"

"Let me guess, they aren't convinced?"

He lowered his head, choosing his next words carefully.

"They think . . . That you purposely led the patrols into a trap. The fact that you conveniently survived an explosion that killed five wizards . . ."

Lily sat up abruptly, ignoring his protests.

"A trap? You think I _knew_ those wizards were going to look for me in that shop? I'm miles from my home territory. I was hiding for a reason!"

"You were coming to recruit followers."

She hesitated, eyes narrowing.

"And how would you know that?"

He held his hands to his sides in a gesture of mock grandeur.

"Leader John Waters at your service. Your cell has been corresponding with my village for about three months. We usually send a scout patrol to throw off suspicion while a second team comes under the cover of darkness to meet with your people. That second team is headed by a young woman with a scar on her lip named,"

"Anna," she finished, staring at him blankly.

He nodded.

". . .What happened, John? She never showed up. That's why I headed this way. _She_ didn't show up, but a team of wizards did . . ."

She leveled her gaze on him, not accusing, but desperate for answers.

"I assure you . . . Lily, it was not our intention to bring any harm to your . . ."

"Your intention? Your intentions mean nothing to me, old man! I lost friends in that attack! _Children_ died in that attack! My comrades wanted to come with me, to torch this place and everyone inside."

She drew a shaky breath, her fingers twitching as she flexed her hands unconsciously, as if they possessed a mind of their own and were itching to strangle the weary man in front of her.

"I stopped them," she continued in a quieter voice. "I . . . And a few others, didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that you had betrayed us. I came to find out what happened, to see if you needed help. Chances were that if they'd come after us, they probably came after you too."

"How very kind of you," he said coldly, his voice threatening to send a chill down her spine. Standing, he turned his back on her, leaning against the table, his calloused hands spread flat on the chipped surface. He didn't speak for a few moments. When he did, it was with the voice of one who has finally come to the point of giving up hope after far too many years of seeing it fail to bring results.

"Anna . . . Was my daughter."

Lily gaped at him, stammering, "You don't have any proof that she isn't still . . ."

He held up a hand to silence her.

"I hope, for her sake, that she has gone on to be with her mother. The alternative is too terrible to contemplate."

Lily opened her mouth, searching for words to reassure him, much of her former anger dissipated, but the look on his face caused her to close it again.

"I would never have sent my own child to her death, Lily . . . But someone did betray you and your people without our knowledge. That person fled right before the patrols came looking for you. We had . . . Begun to suspect treachery, when we received no word from either our people or yours. When Benjamin March fled, we realized, too late, what had happened. They were waiting for you when you arrived. I suspect the only thing that saved you was coming alone. It allowed you to just barely slip by undetected . . . For a time."

"Benjamin . . . March?"

He nodded grimly. "Yes, I believe he was once a part of your cell?"

"He's a bloody coward, is what he is! He abandoned me in the street to die, _after_ I saved his skin. If it weren't for him, I might not have gotten caught . . . Luke might not have died," she said this last part in a whisper, willing away the painful constriction that was forming in her chest.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know. He only showed up a week ago, said he had left your cell because all of you had lost your minds. Started preaching tolerance and cooperation with the State. I'm afraid there were more than a few sympathetic ears to listen to his speeches. After the loss of our patrols. . ."

"But it's his fault. It has to be. Who else would have told them we were meeting?"

He sighed. "I'm not disagreeing with you, though, to be frank, he could have persuaded quite a few people to do the deed. I'm afraid my family and I have grown rather unpopular in the last few years. We've experienced a lot of hardships: crop failure, drought, disease. The situation only grew worse when we started corresponding. Many people want nothing to do with you or the rebellion. It's possible that my opposition sought to use this information as some form of retribution."

"Then your people are cowards, the same as March, and they deserve whatever's coming to them."

"Can you so easily cast judgement?"

"If it weren't for the State, many of these problems could be remedied. They have medicine, food . . . For God's sake they can _create_ water with the wave of a wand. Cooperation won't solve a corrupt system, it'll only make people easier to walk on."

"It might stop their children dying for a cause many of them are too young to fully understand."

Lily looked at him steadily, her voice calm yet full of conviction, "With the way things have been going the past few decades, I think that's a fool's dream, John Waters."

A heavy, insistent knocking sounded at the door.

Waters cursed, stepping past the curtain. "He can't be back already. It hasn't even been . . ."

He ducked as the door flew open, three people swarming inside. Lily rolled off the bed, eyes darting around the room for a secondary exit, internally cursing herself for not escaping the minute she woke up. Unfortunately for her, no such salvation appeared. She straightened up, pulling put her blade as she surveyed the newcomers, two men and a woman, all armed to the teeth.

The woman glanced around the room for a second, muttering something to Waters about fixing the door, before her gaze fell on Lily. She grinned brightly, a somewhat terrifying sight when paired with her barely controlled mass of black hair and madly glinting eyes.

"Hello, Lily. I'm Bellatrix Black. We've been looking for you."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: *Oliver Twist voice: "Please, sir, can I have some reviews?"

"Reviews?!"

. . . . .

Lily stared at the woman for a few seconds.

"His best lieutenant," she muttered.

Bellatrix laughed, a wild sound, almost a cackle, her black eyes gleaming wickedly.

"Is that what the Ministry's calling me these days? Oh dear, I'm almost . . . Flattered."

Her eyes narrowed abruptly, a serious expression flashing across her face. The swiftness of the change was somewhat startling.

"We need to go, Lily. I was sent by the Commander to find you. I'll explain more once we get out of here, but we don't have any time to waste."

"The Commander . . . You mean Gaunt, Thomas Gaunt?"

Bellatrix nodded, a hint of pride in her eyes, "Spot on, dearest. That's the one. He wants to meet you . . . to help."

Lily nodded without hesitation. "Fine by me. Let's get the hell out of here." Turning, she addressed Waters, "Thanks for the help . . . And the information. If I find out anything about Anna, you'll be the first to know."

He nodded, seeming unconvinced, or perhaps just resigned to the hand which Fate seemed to have taken delight in dealing him. "Sure . . . Of course."

Lily frowned, biting her lower lip. "John, why don't you come with us? I'm sure we could use the extra help. Besides, they know I was here. If I disappear now . . ." she trailed off, looking away as a burst of guilt flooded her. He had already probably lost his daughter for good. Now he might lose his own life, and for what? To help someone who had all but accused him of betrayal and inadvertently caused his child's almost certain death?

However, he shook his head, smiling at her sadly. "Thank you, but no. Someone has to stay to deal with the fallout. I won't have my actions bring harm to my people."

The feeling of guilt increased, twisting in her gut like a knife. "I'm sorry," she said honestly, "I came to try to help . . . but it seems I've only made things worse."

He shrugged, giving her a pained smile. "No time for that now. You've got to leave before he gets back."

Addressing Bellatrix, he said, "They must surely have been watching the house. How did you get past them?"

The woman shrugged, smirking slightly. "Oh, you know wizards, arrogant bastards the lot of them. There might . . . also be a few dead guards in the alley outside your house . . . What can I say?Rabastan's handy with a knife."

One of the two men (neither of whom had spoken a word during this time), mimed sweeping a hat off his head as he gave a low, silent bow.

"Right then," Bellatrix continued, "Waters, isn't it? We're going to rough you up a bit and tie you to a chair, make it look like a break in. If you aren't opposed?"

Waters sighed, "By all means. Please, help yourself to my nonexistent valuables while you're at it."

The two men moved towards him, one, Rabastan, murmuring something in an apologetic voice as he clocked Waters in the face. A spurt of blood gushed from the other man's nose as he yelped, clutching at his face.

"For God's sake, man, you didn't have to hit me that hard!"

The second man rolled his eyes, pulling out a length of rope as Rabastan (more gently) smeared some of the blood around Water's face and neck, tearing a few rips in his clothes and messing up his hair as he did so. He then helped the grumbling man into the chair, while his comrade tightly wound the length of rope about him. Standing back, Rabastan cocked his head to the side, surveying his handiwork. A second later, he nodded, "Good enough. Sorry about this, mate. Necessary evil and all that."

Waters shrugged, looking tired and dejected.

Rabastan snapped his fingers. "Oh! I almost forgot." He stooped over and grabbed the now dry rag Waters had been using to clean Lily's wounds, gagging the 'prisoner' (who shot him a positively evil look). He shrugged, a jagged grin breaking across his face. "Devil's in the details, my friend."

"Are you boys finished yet?" Bellatrix drawled, looking bored.

The two men straightened up, Rabastan raising his hand in a salute. "Aye, Lieutenant. We're done here."

"Good, then would you be so kind as to scout the perimeter?"

They nodded, "Yes, Lieutenant."

Bellatrix turned to Lily as the two men furtively darted out of the house. "Do you know how to use one of these?" she asked, grabbing a spare rifle from her back and tossing it to Lily (followed a second later by the detached magazine).

Lily caught both with practiced ease, slipping the magazine into place with one swift motion.

"Yeah, I'll manage."

Bellatrix nodded, "Good to hear. Let's go."

Lily paused, about to thank Waters one last time when a shout rang out in the night.

Rabastan ducked his head in the door, face tense. They're back. We need to move. Now."

Bellatrix pulled two objects from her belt, tossing one to Rabastan, who caught it it with both hands, ducking outside.

"Flash grenade," she said by way of explanation, darting out of the house with Lily at her heels.

A half a second later, a blinding white light filled the street, scattering the darkness as the Lieutenant threw the second grenade towards the approaching wizards, causing a burst of fog to further confuse and distract their recently blinded pursuers.

"This way," she motioned to a side street, slipping silently away as the patrol members cursed and shot off spells at random.

"What about the others?" Lily panted as they ran, twisting and turning through the alleys and side streets, following some path only Bellatrix seemed to recognize and comprehend.

"Who? Rod and Rabastan? They'll be fine. They know what they're doing," Bellatrix answered dismissively.

"Your timing is impeccable."

Bellatrix grinned, teeth flashing in the moonlight. "We've been keeping tabs on you for a while. Gaunt had a . . . feeling you might need help soon, so he sent us."

Lily frowned. "But why me? My cell's influence is confined to a pretty small radius. I can't imagine what would make him think me important enough to send a rescue team, especially not one headed by you."

She shrugged, "You're the youngest resistance leader to date. He was impressed."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that?"

Bellatrix smirked, "You'll have to ask him yourself."

"Don't you know?"

"Wouldn't tell you if I did, sweetheart," she chimed in a teasing sing song voice. "Not my place. He wants to talk with you himself."

Lily fell silent, realizing she wouldn't get any more answers from the woman. A small part of her still regarded the Lieutenant and her comrades with suspicion, but if they really were who they claimed to be . . . Then a once in a lifetime opportunity had just been dropped in her lap. Not that she trusted Gaunt, mind you, but she respected his results.

The two of them broke into a clearing. Without warning, Bellatrix grabbed Lily's arm and tugged her to the ground as she herself dropped to her stomach. A flash of green light soared over their heads, impacting the building behind them and blasting off a chunk of the already crumbling wall.

Moving to a crouch, the Lieutenant yanked on the girl's arm once more, pulling her behind the remains of a ruined house.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" a mocking voice called out cheerfully. "You can't hide from me, Bellatrix Black!"

Lily detected a faint snarl in the witch's words, hiding beneath a cruelly playful tone of voice. She winced involuntarily as a jet of crimson light scorched the ground nearer to where they had been a second before. Bellatrix had kept them moving once out of sight, darting from one ruined structure to the next. For the first time in her life, Lily found herself thanking the State for nor bothering to keep up with city maintenance by removing the broken down buildings.

"LeStrange to Black. We've cleared the town and are waiting for you at the rendezvous point, Lieutenant."

Lily flinched as the other woman's as of yet unoticed combadge sounded. Bellatrix cursed silently.

"Found you."

The witch rounded the corner, wand raised, eyes gleaming madly as she opened her mouth to speak the killing curse.

Bellatrix dropped her weapon into Lily's hands (the latter had lost hers, to her chagrin, when pulled out of the way of incoming spellfire), ducking as she darted forward and forcefully shoved the woman's arm into the air, causing the curse to collide harmlessly with the roof of a building. Using her enemy's distraction against her, the Lieutenant twisted the witch's arm downwards and away from her body, causing her to drop her wand as Black brought her elbow into the other's face with a sickening 'crack'. Lily tossed her the rifle and she finished without a pause by hitting the back of the enemy's skull with the butt of the weapon. The witch collapsed, unmoving.

"You could've just shot her."

Bellatrix glanced up. A shrug. "Ammo is scarce. Didn't seem right to waste it on this one." She savagely kicked the unmoving witch in the side.

"I take it you two have history?"

"We've met . . . once or twice."

Bellatrix stooped down, grabbing the woman's wand and tucking it into her belt.

Lily moved to retrieve her own weapon, not looking at Bellatrix as a wave of shame for her mistake washed through her. She shoved the emotion down and trotted after the Lieutenant as they made their way to the rendezvous point.

AN:

For anyone who may be wondering, the as of yet unnamed witch will be sort of an evil counterpart to Bellatrix. Because alternate universe irony. I may also shamelessly use this story in the future to promote another one I'm working on at the moment, a crossover between Star Trek DS9 and Star Wars, because I want to see the Major as a Jedi. Because it would be hilarious and awesome.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I would like to thank Toraach for being the first to leave a review on this story. And, Toraach, if you meant chaotic in the way I think you meant it (bouncing around from scene to scene) it was meant to be that way. I admit, it is a little hard to follow, but it's a sort of flashback/dream sequence thing, so I wanted it to be kind of . . . Trippy? If you meant structure and grammar, my apologies (it was typed on a phone). Also, Andromeda, hmm, I dunno. It wasn't originally (just kind of a placeholder for an idea that came to me on the fly. I was originally going to just kill off Rod or Rabastan for a distraction, but decided against it). Now I'm intrigued. Would you want to see that? It sparked some interesting ideas about what to do with Draco . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

It took them nearly two days to reach Gaunt's temporary headquarters. As Bellatrix had explained during their march, the infamous revolutionary preferred to maintain several rotating 'main' bases at once, in order to throw any potential Ministry implants off his scent. No one except Bellatrix knew all of the locations at any given time.

Lily hadn't relaxed for a second during the journey, body tensed as they traveled through the countryside, expecting an attack at any moment.

Her new comrades left her alone for the most part, though Lily did once catch Bellatrix studying her intently out of the corner of her eye as the two of them took up watch.

"What?"

Bellatrix flashed her a quick, mysterious smile, shaking her head. "Nothing. You just remind of someone."

Lily groaned audibly, causing the older woman to laugh. "What's this now?"

"God, not you too. If I hear one more person say I look like the famous martyr Lily Potter . . . I might just snap and kill something."

Bellatrix's smile deepened, somehow, impossibly, growing even more enigmatic.

"You get that a lot, I take it?"

"You'd think people had seen a bloody ghost!"

Bellatrix looked down, pausing for so long that Lily was about to ask her what was wrong, when at last she spoke, in a quiet, gentle voice.

"Maybe that isn't such a bad thing."

Lily frowned, running her hands through her red hair self-consciously.

"What do you mean?"

Bellatrix glanced back up at her, black eyes contemplative and somber.

"People need someone to believe in, Lily. They need . . . a symbol."

"I'm not Lily Potter . . . at least, not _that_ Lily Potter. I'm not some hero."

"Lily Potter didn't think she was either."

"She saved people . . . I only get them killed."

"You've saved more people than you realize . . . And sacrifice is necessary in war."

"And who am I to decide who lives and who dies?!" Lily snapped angrily, clenching her fists and rising to her feet as she glowered at the woman. The image of Luke had been haunting her restless sleep lately, joined by images of a young woman with a scar on her lip (whose fate she would have preferred not to contemplate) being tortured and killed.

Bellatrix looked at her steadily, expression unchanged, "A leader. Someone who has to make decisions and live with their consequences, good or bad."

"And John and Anna Waters? What about them?" she demanded.

"Those are some of the bad consequences. They made their choice too, you know. You killing yourself over every person you lose isn't going to help anyone."

"What would you know about it?" the girl grumbled automatically.

Bellatrix's eyes darkened, like storm clouds drawing across the sun.

"I lost my best friend, more like my sister, really, because I failed in my mission. She was publicly executed because of me. It was . . . a humiliating death. Would you like me to make a list of all the other people who might have lived if I hadn't made mistakes? It might take a while."

Lily sat down, shamefaced.

"The point is . . . Everyone fucks up from time to time. Even the Commander. As cliche as it sounds, the only thing you can do is learn from those experiences. Adapt and move on. Flexibility. It's what sets us mundanes apart from wizards." She grinned, the sun returning to her eyes. "We may not have magic, but we're dead clever in a bind, and smart enough to keep a few tricks up our sleeves."

"I just hope it's enough."

"It usually is."

. . . . .

Headquarters turned out to be decidedly underwhelming. Lily was almost disappointed until it occurred to her that Gaunt had probably specifically chosen this location for its unassuming appearance.

A cluster of houses (more like huts) were grouped about a larger building that had seen better days. All of the windows were shattered on the ground floor (and a few on the higher levels), and indecipherable layers of graffiti covered nearly every inch of the walls.

Two guards with rifles stood rigidily at attention by the front doors. Their faces were almost completely covered by black cloth wraps, leaving only expressionless eyes to watch the progress of the new arrivals, fingers never leaving gun triggers.

Lieutenant Black put a hand on Lily's shoulder, motioning her to stop.

"Give me a moment, will you? I need to discuss something with the Commander before you meet him. It should only take a few minutes. Feel free to look around, but stay within sight of the main building."

Without waiting for an answer, she stepped neatly up to the door, showing some kind of identification badge to the guards and giving a password to prove her identity.

Dropping their rifles simultaneously to rest at their sides, the two guards snapped to attention with sharp salutes, moving as a unit away from the door to allow her passage. Once she had entered, they slid back into their former positions with ease. Lily was reminded of a well oiled lock.

Turning away from the watchful eyes of the gatekeepers, Lily took a moment to conduct a more detailed survey of her surroundings, noting possible escape routes and hiding places as she paced a ways away from the main building.

. . . . .

Inside, Bellatrix strode purposefully to the office located at the very heart of the structure. Her boots clipped against the floor as she walked, echoing in the quiet hallways. Slowing as she reached the end of the corridor, she allowed her footsteps to fade away. A sense of unease tugged at the corner of her mind (concerning what she had to report), but she pushed it away. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock on the wooden door.

"Enter."

The crisp word rang out a split second before her knuckles collided with the wood. Bellatrix stopped herself just in time, a faint scowl curving at the corners of her mouth. Lowering her hand to the handle, she pushed the door open, peeking her head around to glare at the office's sole occupant.

"How'd you know?"

Thomas Marvolo Gaunt lifted a pale gaze to regard his Lieutenant, amusement hidden under a cleverly crafted facade of ennui as he took a sip of tea. He possessed a certain ageless quality about him, appearing both young and old at the same time. Dark hair framed handsome, if somewhat pallid, features.

Bellatrix caught herself staring in fascination at the way his slender fingers grasped his chipped china cup with grace and poise, as if conducting a business meeting with the Queen herself. Never a misplaced movement, nor an unintentional word, the cogs and mechanisms of his mind were wrapped up in an appearance of serenity. Gaunt had no need to exercise ruthless control of his subjects; rather, their loyalty seemed drawn out of them by the gravitational effect of his mere presence. She had almost forgotten how awe inspiring it could be.

She mentally shook herself out of her stupor in time to hear his reply.

"My dear, I could hear you the moment you entered the building. You have a very . . . Characteristic gait."

Bellatrix bit back a sharp retort, lowering her head. "Apologies, Commander. I assure you that I am more . . . discrete normally."

He nodded knowingly, "Of course. If all else fails, I have Rabastan to conduct missions requiring the utmost stealth. And you, my dear . . . I have you to punch people."

Bellatrix laughed at the unusual bluntness of his reply, in spite of herself, stepping the rest of the way into the office and softly shutting the door. "Commander, you wound me. I am an expert at infiltration."

His expression remained passive, but she could've sworn she detected a momentary flicker of amusement in his eyes. Someone who did not spend as much time with him would never have noticed it, and yet, even after all these years, Bellatrix was not sure if she could truthfully claim to know the man. More than most, definitely, but not completely. No. No one completely understood Tom Gaunt.

"And what did you bring me from your espionage this time, Lieutenant?"

Taking a seat, she leaned foward, resting her chin on her folded hands as she answered, "The Potter girl, as requested."

"I did not doubt you for a moment," this time, the emotion was clearly discernible, pride and satisfaction, allowed to temporarily steal out from behind his mask for her benefit. "You've done well, Lieutenant. I am most pleased."

Leaning back in her chair, she smiled, nodding at his praise. "I thought you might be."

"So, then, what is troubling you?"

Her expression darkened without warning, as she internally cursed his perceptiveness.

"We ran into a few . . . issues along the way."

He tilted his head slightly in an inquiring manner.

"Waters' team was ambushed during their mission, as you already know, since we sent McNair ahead of us. We weren't able to save them before they were apparated away. However, we did manage to get to Potter in time, as I've said. You have Waters to thank for that . . . Though you might not get the chance. They had a watch set up on his house. It seemed there was an explosion that almost killed Potter. It wasn't one of ours."

"They know then," his voice was calm, but he flexed his hands slightly as he spoke, a single nervous habit he'd never been able to completely shake in one on one conversations with her. He didn't comment on the news of the explosion, though Bellatrix assumed he had mentally filed it away to deal with later. "I assume you were seen?"

Here she hesitated.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Lieutenant Black?"

"We would have made it out without being identified except . . . _she_ showed up."

Gaunt clenched his jaw, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, as though developing a migraine.

"Bellatrix . . ."

"Commander, with all due respect, she's . . ."

He held up a hand, causing her to fall silent.

Opening his eyes, he regarded her with a piercing gaze.

"Frankly, I don't give a damn. You should not have let her live. Now the Ministry will have irrefutable proof as to just who was involved in Potter's rescue."

Bellatrix silently decided that bringing up the fact that resource limitations already made that suspect list pretty short would not be a wise decision.

"She's a liability, Black. I cannot allow your personal sentiment to undermine everything I've worked for, everything _we've_ worked for."

He stared intently at her, compounding the heaviness of his next words.

"I can and _will_ replace you . . . if the need arises. Don't let it come to that."

"Yes, sir," she replied hollowly.

He waved his hand at her, the mask descending once more.

"You are dismissed. Send Potter up." He reached to take another sip of tea.

Bellatrix rose to leave, reaching for the door when Gaunt added a final comment.

"Oh, and, Bella?"

She paused, turning to face him.

"I want you to personally bring me proof of _her_ death."

The clatter of a wand being deposited a little too firmly on his desk met this statement.

"Halfway there, Commander."

. . . .

Lily was bored. Choosing to follow the Lieutenant's instructions in the spirit in which they were given (as she could technically see the main building from several miles away), left her aimlessly wandering the space in front of the main doors, peering half heartedly at the wares being hawked by some of the residents.

She had just finished detaching herself from an eager merchant and leaning glumly against the moss covered wall that hemmed in the building on three sides, when a curious voice sounded above, causing her to flinch and reach for her weapon.

"Oh, hello. Haven't seen you around here."

She relaxed slightly, upon spotting the speaker, a gray eyed boy around her age with fair, almost white hair. He had perched himself on the top of the wall and was now swinging his legs idly, almost reminiscent of a bored child. She could sympathize.

"My name's Draco." He awkwardly leaned over, sticking one hand out for her to shake, while using the other to maintain his balance.

She reached up, just barely tall enough to reach his hand.

"Lily Potter."

His eyes widened, and she internally cursed herself for not giving a false name. His next words caught her off guard, however.

"Is Auntie Bella alright then?"

". . . What?"

He braced himself, hopping lightly off the wall. Straightening, he brushed some invisible dirt from his hands.

"Auntie Bella. I assume she's the one who brought you in?"

Understanding dawned on the girl.

"Oh, you mean Lieutenant Black?"

He shrugged, giving a small nod.

"She's fine," Lily replied. "I didn't know she had a nephew."

"Learn something new everyday, eh, Potter?" he drawled lazily, sticking his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall himself.

"My mother is her younger sister," he added.

" Ah, so . . ."

"Draco!"

The blonde teen glanced up, a grin breaking out on his face.

"Hello, Auntie."

Bellatrix strode towards them, looking perturbed.

"Posture, Love," she chided absent-mindedly, gently cuffing Draco on the ear.

He grumbled something under his breath but dropped the slouch he had adopted.

"Where's your, mother?"

"Gardening," he replied dryly, still rubbing at his ear with an indignant expression, which his aunt completely ignored.

"Wonderful."

She turned to Lily.

"The Commander wishes to speak with you, Potter."

Lily noticed her switch to a more formal mode of address.

"If you'll follow me?"

She turned without waiting for an answer.

Lily glanced at Draco.

"Nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too," he muttered, glancing after his aunt worriedly before turning and disappearing into an alley.

Lily followed Bellatrix into the building and all the way to the hall where Gaunt's office lay before the older woman stopped, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"His office is at the end of this hallway. You shouldn't have to knock more than once."

Lily peered at her.

"Are you alright?"

Bellatrix flashed her a small, tired smile.

"Fine, thanks for asking."

She gently nudged the girl forward.

"Go on, he's waiting for you."

Lily steeled her nerves. This was the moment she had been waiting for, her meeting with the infamous Thomas Gaunt. If all went according to plan, she would gain an ally today.

She turned to thank Bellatrix, only to find herself standing alone in the hallway.

Sighing, she began the walk towards the office, and, hopefully, a brighter future for her people.


End file.
